This invention generally relates to a ventilated seat for a vehicle. More specifically, this invention relates to a portable ventilated seat for a vehicle including a top pad assembly that forms at least a seat cushion, and preferably a seat cushion and seat back, suitable for use with any vehicle seat. Air passes through the seating surface of the pad assembly by suction or forced air flow.
When driving a car in hot weather, occupants may experience excessive sweating from contact with the vehicle seat, because the seat prevents or blocks the body""s ability to radiate excess heat. To reduce sweating, the occupant may roll down the window of the vehicle, or if provided, turn on the air conditioning to allow cool air to pass through the vehicle interior. A disadvantage of both solutions is that areas of the occupant""s body are in contact with the vehicle seat preventing any cooling airflow from reaching those areas. In cold weather, the reverse phenomena may occur, i.e., cold seats may be difficult to warm quickly due to occupant contact with the seat.
Seat covers or pads designed for placement on top of vehicle seats are known. In some cases, these seat covers or pads are made of fashion based materials that allow some air to flow therethrough, thus allowing the occupant to more readily emit heat radiated from the body during hot days or long drives and vice versa in cold weather. These devices have been made from wooden rollers, springs covered with porous sheet material and the like. A disadvantage of these seat covers is that they rely only on passive air flow and thus they do not fully resolve the issues discussed above.
Accordingly, this invention provides for a portable ventilated seat pad that overcomes the problems and disadvantages discussed above. The invention provides a non-rigid pad assembly for cooling or heating an occupant primarily through evaporative cooling or forced air heating. The invention further provides, in its most preferred embodiment, a range of different air flows, e.g., low/medium/high, by a switch coupled to a fan.
Briefly, the invention is a portable ventilated seat pad assembly that lays on an existing seat in a vehicle. This non-porous pad has an upper surface layer formed of a porous material, a lower surface layer and two inner layers. The first inner layer is preferably formed of a non-porous material which confronts the upper surface. This non-porous layer is provided with ventilation holes for allowing air to flow through the upper surface layer. The second inner layer is a porous material and is positioned between the first inner layer and the lower surface layer. This porous layer is preferably a spring-like cushion having top and bottom netting and an interior consisting of rigidized threads extending between the top and bottom netting.
A fan (vacuum or forced air) is connected to a bag formed by first inner layer and the lower surface layer and air moves through the second inner layer into or out of the ventilation holes provided in the first inner layer and hence through the upper surface layer. A vacuum would draw interior air from the vehicle through the occupant""s clothes, through the ventilated seat pad assembly and out through the vacuum device, or the reverse would occur if it were desired to use forced air to heat or cool the air leaving the pad. The pad assembly of the present invention allows the occupant""s perspiration to evaporate efficiently from his skin and clothing or to warm or cool the occupant more quickly than has previously been possible. Preferably, the occupant can adjust the airflow rate through the pad to maximize comfort at any time.